As it turns out, not only did the Rio Rancho High School baseball team win its 20th game of the season Wednesday, as the diamond dried out in time for a game with Manzano, but the Rams have a chance to post victory No. 21 on Monday.

Of course, coach Ron Murphy was still a bit antsy about his team's chances of receiving one of four first-round byes. The selection committee meets today to decide which dozen teams play for the coveted blue trophy, and only four of the five district champs get a first-round bye.

The Rams (20-5) will play host to Cibola on Monday at 4.m. The game won't count as a district game, but will count otherwise, with the Cougars and Rams getting a final tune-up for their pitchers. "We're both gonna use that as a game to get ready for the state playoffs," Murphy said. "We'll probably throw a different pitcher every inning."

Josh Payne gave the Monarchs (6-13) the early lead with a first-inning homer off Anthony Haase (3-0). Haase allowed only one hit, an infield single between short and third, the rest of the way.

"I was struggling throwing strikes; everything was up today," he said later. "Once I started getting it down, I thought I was fine. I knew we were going to hit the ball."

The Rams then took the lead for keeps in the second, when Zach Martinez socked a two-run homer and Chris Wallis added an RBI-single, then scored on a fielding error.

Joey Garcia, who went 3 for 3 with three RBIs, hit a one-out solo homer in the third for a 4-1 lead. It was his team-leading seventh round-tripper of the season.

Rio Rancho sent Monarchs starter Scott Schlosser out of the game with a four-run fourth, which featured RBI singles by Ethan Gill, Garcia and Kyle Hammond.

With two more runs in the fifth, the game was over via the 10-run mercy rule.

After David Waid fanned for the first out off reliever Robert Armstrong, Wallis walked and Gill reached on an error. Josh Walker's RBI single made it 10-1, and Gill, moving to third on Walker's shot down the right-field line, scored moments later on a wild pitch.

Joining Garcia with multiple-hit games were Wallis, who went 2 for 2, and Gill and Walker, each 2 for 4.

"I came home from UNM (Tuesday night) at 10 o'clock and it was pouring; I couldn't even see," Murphy said. "I was worried, because I really felt like we had to get our 20th win for the seeding committee, to have a shot at the third- or fourth-seed. I think we deserve at least a No. 4 seed, worst-case scenario, but we'll see."

He said he was happy to see another 12-hit attack.

"I had to figure, we had 12 hits (Tuesday in the loss to West Mesa). So it's not that we're not hitting the ball and I knew our kids would come back and hit the ball, and I knew one run wasn't going to win the ballgame - our kids are going to hit the ball," he said. "Twenty-four hits in two days? That's not bad; that's two good days of hitting.

"We just faced a really tough pitcher (southpaw Jacob Pacheco on Tuesday). 20-5 is a pretty good season," he continued. "It's a good year and now we've got to get ready to start our second half of the season."

Extra innings: Former Ram Tim Crafton (RRHS Class of 2002) wrapped up his playing career at Eastern New Mexico University (20-34) last weekend. Crafton, an outfielder, batted .317 and started 37 of the Greyhounds' 54 contests as a senior. He was second in walks (22) and tied for second on the team in triples (4). ENMU was 5-13 in its Lone Star Conference games. Crafton played just one season for the Rams, and was an All-District first-teamer.

... If the Rams don't get a first-round bye when the selection committee meets today (visit www.nmact.org for the bracket), the Rams will get a first-round home game later this week. Big deal, Murphy said: "There's no guarantee; we got one last year, too, against Mayfield and all it takes is one hot pitcher. They have a good day, you have an off day, and anything can happen." Rio Rancho was beaten by visiting Mayfield last year, ending any hopes of a title.

... Two of New Mexico's top prep baseball players, pitcher Justin Aragon and infielder Rich Bohlken of La Cueva, have been selected to play in the June 4 All-American Baseball Game at Isotopes Park. LCHS coach Stan McKeever, the West head coach in the 2006 All-American Baseball Game, is sending his fifth and sixth to play in the acclaimed all-star contest. Aragon and Bohlken are two of three New Mexican players that will be selected to play in June's showcase.